加速低碳幕墙：目前有效的解决方案

Contents Delivered in partnership:Arup, Permasteelisa andTurner&Townsend Alinea This collaboration brings together façadedesign engineers, façade specialistsub-contractors and cost consultants, drawingon the unique expertise each party brings,industry know-how, and existing tools toexplore tangible actions for carbon reductionin curtain walling that can be applied toprojects right away. Foreword The urgency for climate action is beyond dispute,and the façade industry must play its part byreducing the embodied carbon in its products andsolutions. Over the past year, our cross-disciplinaryinvestigation has challenged assumptions, testedinnovative ideas, and identified practical strategiesfor carbon reduction. What stands out most isthe spirit of openness - an eagerness to rethinkestablished norms, question aesthetic conventions,and prioritise long-term value over short-termconvenience. Curtain walling systems are oftentreated as standard technical solutions. However,our work demonstrates that design decisionsremain crucial and they can significantly influenceoutcomes. This publication is not a manifesto;rather, it presents a set of real, tested options. Itserves as a reminder that reducing carbon neednot mean compromise. Instead, it can unlock newopportunities, especially when the right people areengaged early in the process with a shared goal. Inessence, less carbon typically means less material,which often translates to lower costs. Which can bea win for everyone. We hope this work inspires othersto do the same: to challenge, tocollaborate, and to act. Because thetime for evolutionary change haspassed. We need to really engage,right now. Tristram CarfraeArup Fellow Six actions for low carbon curtain walling Curtain walling façades play a critical role inthe carbon footprint of modern buildings. As theindustry shifts focus from operational carbonto whole life carbon, unitised systems present amajor opportunity for impact but also require arethink of how we design and deliver them andto dispel the myth that lower-carbon solutionsinevitably drive higher costs. We’ve developed a set of practical, design-ledactions that can be implemented immediately.These were tested through dialogue with clients,architects, and investors, sparking valuableconversations around feasibility, compromise, andshared responsibility. This publication is a call for collective action:every stakeholder, from designers and engineers todevelopers, manufacturers, clients, and investors,has a role to play. By sharing this work, we hopeto expand the application of simple, effectiveprinciples that can be widely adopted, and to openup a broader conversation across the industry aboutchallenging the status quo. We can design façadesthat are not only lower carbon, but also enduring,adaptable, and loved, with the industry workingtogether to accelerate meaningful change. This publication is the result of a year-longcollaboration between Arup, Scheldebouw, andAlinea, aimed at accelerating low-carbon solutionsin curtain walling. By 2030, the built environmentis expected to halve its carbon emissions. Action 2Shading fin impact Action 3Slab edge deflection limit Action 1Effect of bay design This milestone is no longer a distant ambition, it’sa fast-approaching deadline: buildings designedtoday will be under construction by the time that50% reduction is required. The imperative is clear: we mustdesign better buildings now. By applying these actions, youcould achieve a 20% cost savingand 55% embodied carbon savingon your project today. Action 5Wind driven glassbuild ups Action 6Glass build uprequirements Action 4Extrusion thickness The process In this collaboration, our goal was to explore whatcan be done immediately to reduce embodiedcarbon in curtain walling, not through speculativetechnologies or long-term material innovations,but through smarter system design. We set out tocreate a practical “low carbon menu” of design-led strategies, guided by the principles of buildless, build light, build wise. Rather than focusingon the specification of low-carbon materials, weconcentrated on how façade systems themselvescan be designed more efficiently and intelligently. To strengthen and validate the outcomes ofour collaboration, we convened a roundtablediscussion with key industry decision-makers:clients, developers, investors, architects, andother influential stakeholders. The purpose wasto bring these voices into the conversation at acritical moment: to test the practicality, appeal, andviability of the proposed carbon-saving actionswith those who shape projects both financiallyand creatively. Their perspectives added necessaryrealism to the discussion, grounding our proposalsin the broader realities of project delivery, designambition, and commercial viability. To do this, we brought together specialists fromdifferent roles, creating a group who understand thefaçade system from concept to construction, to co-develop practical solutio